Packaging of smoking articles

Abstract

A rigid of smoking articles is made to have improved shelf life and to be resealable. A barrier material is sealed around the rigid pack. The rigid pack has a potential or actual access aperture extending from a top face into a major face. The barrier material has a line of severance or weakening defining a flap, which is in register with the potential or actual access aperture. Over the flap is a layer which overlaps it on each severable side with a portion having permanently-tacky adhesive. A non-adhered pull tab is preferably provided on the layer. To open the pack the user lifts the flap and if necessary the access aperture. After removal of a smoking article the gap in the barrier layer is reclosed and released by the repositioning of the adhesive layer, carrying with it the flap of barrier material. A machine for assembling the pack is also disclosed.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A machine for making a packet of smoking articles including a rigid cuboid pack having a top face, a bottom face, two side faces and major front and back faces, with a charge of smoking articles contained in said rigid pack and a layer of barrier material overwrapping said pack to form a sealed enclosure around said pack, wherein said rigid pack includes either an actual pack access aperture, said pack aperture being a portion missing from the material of the pack, or a potential pack access aperture, said potential pack aperture being a flap defined by a line of weakening in the material of the pack, 
       said machine comprising:  
       a feed operable to supply a web of the barrier material;  
       a cutting station operable to form a line of weakening defining a barrier flap and a barrier access aperture in said web of barrier material;  
       an application station operable to apply a label, said label including a permanently tacky portion, over said barrier flap in such a manner that when said label is in an aperture-closure position said tacky portion of said label surrounds said barrier access aperture;  
       means operable to present a length of the label-bearing web of barrier material as a wall to the top face of said rigid pack containing a charge of smoking articles;  
       drive means operable to transfer said rigid pack transverse to said wall and being further operable to progress said rigid pack through the location of said wall of barrier material;  
       a knife cutter operable to cut said web to length immediately after said web has been impacted by said pack, wherein said actual or potential pack access aperture is generally in registration with the barrier flap of said barrier layer; and  
       heaters operable to form seals in said web of barrier material around said pack to form an enclosure.  
     
     
       2. A machine according to  claim 1 , which includes means for pushing up a non-adhered portion of the label to form a pull-tab for the label and flap. 
     
     
       3. A machine according to  claim 1  wherein the pitch between successive layers and length cuts is adjustable. 
     
     
       4. A machine according to  claim 2  wherein the pitch between successive layers and length cuts is adjustable. 
     
     
       5. A machine for making a packet of smoking articles including a rigid cuboid pack having a top face, a bottom face, two side faces and major front and back faces, with a charge of smoking articles contained in said rigid pack and a layer of barrier material overwrapping said pack to form a sealed enclosure around said pack, wherein said rigid pack includes either an actual pack access aperture, said pack aperture being a portion missing from the material of the pack, or a potential pack access aperture, said potential pack aperture being a flap defined by a line of weakening in the material of the pack, 
       said machine comprising:  
       a feed operable to supply a web of the barrier material;  
       a cutting station operable to form a line of weakening defining a barrier flap and a barrier access aperture in said web of barrier material;  
       an application station operable to apply a label, said label including a permanently tacky portion, over said barrier flap in such a manner that when said label is in an aperture-closure position said tacky portion of said label surrounds said barrier access aperture; and  
       means for enclosing the rigid pack with the barrier material so that said actual or potential pack access aperture is generally in registration with the barrier flap of said barrier layer, whereby a sealed enclosure is formed about said pack by the barrier layer.  
     
     
       6. The machine of  claim 5  wherein said means for enclosing the rigid pack includes means operable to present a length of the label-bearing web of material as a wall to the top face of said rigid pack containing a charge of smoking articles. 
     
     
       7. The machine of  claim 6  wherein said means for enclosing the rigid pack includes drive means operable to transfer said rigid pack transverse to said wall and being further operable to progress said rigid pack through the location of said wall of barrier material. 
     
     
       8. The machine of  claim 7  wherein said means for enclosing the rigid pack includes a knife cutter operable to cut said web to length immediately after said web has been impacted by said pack. 
     
     
       9. The machine of  claim 8  wherein said means for enclosing the rigid pack includes heaters operable to form seals in said web of barrier material around said pack to form heat-sealed seams in the enclosure.